Maximum availability
Measurement as vehicles pass in regular service, with no additional downtime.
OPTIMESS® ERMA City is a stationary wheel measuring system for fully automatic condition monitoring of rail vehicles. As vehicles pass over the system in regular service, high-precision laser technology takes non-contact measurements of wheel profiles and other wheelset parameters.
The system evaluates the measurement data automatically, documents it and assigns it to each vehicle. This lets operators detect wear trends early, plan maintenance precisely and increase the availability of their fleet.
Because the system is installed flush with the ground and can be driven over, the site can be chosen freely anywhere in the network.
Measurement as vehicles pass in regular service, with no additional downtime.
RFID technology identifies vehicles and direction of travel without operator intervention.
IP67 sensors, heating, air knives and condition monitoring ensure reliable operation in rain, snow and dust.
Easy connection to higher-level systems (e.g. SAP) and other maintenance and fleet management systems.
Early detection of wear and automatic threshold warnings.
Sensors, mechanical systems and software: developed and manufactured from a single source.
The wheel profile is one of the most important indicators of a rail vehicle’s condition. Changes in profile geometry affect running behaviour, ride quality, safety and the wear of both wheel and rail. Regular monitoring allows reprofiling and maintenance work to be planned precisely and cuts maintenance costs significantly.
The wheel diameter changes continuously as the wheel wears in normal use. Detecting diameter differences within a wheelset or vehicle early helps to avoid increased loads, uneven wear and impaired running behaviour.
The back-to-back distance – the distance between the inner wheel faces of a wheelset – is a safety-relevant parameter. Keeping it within the specified tolerances is essential for safe track guidance and trouble-free operation on the rail network.
Additional geometry and wear parameters provide valuable information on the overall condition of the wheelset. They reveal irregularities early and support comprehensive condition-based maintenance over the vehicle’s entire life cycle. We are open to customer-specific solutions and will be happy to look into measuring special parameters to suit your requirements.
The measuring system itself, OPTIMESS ERMA City, consists of a load-bearing, corrosion-resistant metal enclosure that houses all components safely and securely.
For checking and referencing the measuring system (e.g. annually).
Compact control cabinet with industrial PC, data storage, power supply and system control.
For operation and status display of the measuring system by the customer.
Visualisation of measurement data, history, trend analyses and maintenance forecasts.
Depending on the fleet and the visibility of the wheelsets, measurement from one side in the direction of travel may suffice (ERMA City I), or both sides of the wheelset may need to be measured (ERMA City II).
An optimally chosen site maximises the benefit of wheel condition monitoring. On heavily used track sections, a large and informative body of data builds up automatically, so wear progression is detected more reliably and trends are assessed more precisely.
The system software is ERMA City’s central control and evaluation system. It captures, processes and manages all measurement and condition data and ensures reliable, automated operation of the installation.
| Merging of measurement data from several laser sensors into one continuous wheel profile |
| Automatic assignment of individual measurements to wheels, axles, bogies and vehicles |
| Calculation and evaluation of all relevant wheel and wheelset parameters |
| Control of the installation and monitoring of all system components |
| Manual operating functions for service and maintenance work, such as opening and closing the protective flaps |
| Configuration of operating parameters such as temperature limits, operating hours and weather-dependent measurement release |
| Management and continuous synchronisation of vehicle data with the customer database |
| Automatic validation of vehicle identification and plausibility checks on the captured measurement data |
| Provision of measurement results to monitoring, maintenance and third-party systems |
| Support for remote maintenance, diagnostics and software updates |
Measurement data becomes sound decisions. The monitoring software gives a comprehensive overview of the condition of the entire fleet and makes wear trends visible at a glance. Historical data, trends and forecasts support predictive maintenance and help to plan maintenance windows optimally.
Automatic notifications when limits are exceeded and flexible analyses at vehicle, bogie, axle or wheel level enable efficient monitoring and maximum transparency. Open interfaces make integration into existing operating and maintenance systems easy.
By combining measurement data evaluation, system control and vehicle management, the system software ensures reliable and efficient operation of the entire wheel measuring system.
Measurement data | Train data | Status
Software
Monitoring | Controlling | Reporting | Client data